Aloo Thechauni / Aloo Thechwani / Aloo Thichodi

I would like to start the first post of the year by wishing all my readers a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. Let us hope the chaos going around for the past couple of years will come to a stop this year.  

I am going to post three potato based dishes this week and the first one is going to be a curry. Potato curry happens to be a popular side dish to go with breads or rice in Indian cuisine and one can find myriad versions of the same, with regional variations thrown in. Today's curry comes from the Uttarakhand region which is a locally popular one that is usually served along with rice though it can be served with rotis as well. 

Going by the list of ingredients, this pahadi subzi / curry from the Himalayan region seems to be another mundane version of potato curry that gets prepared across homes in India. The dish varies from the other curry preparations in the way how the potatoes are chopped and use of a local variety wild mustard seeds called jakhiya. I was looking for an authentic version of this curry and stumbled upon this recipe from a local girl. Usually onions are sautéed first, followed by tomatoes and then potatoes are cooked in the mixture, adding water. In her recipe, onions, potatoes, and tomatoes are sautéed in that order and water is added at the final stage. 

The interesting part here is one doesn't chop potatoes. The unpeeled potatoes are roughly pounded  into fine pieces, using a suitable tool like pestle, stone or hammer. In fact, the dish gets it name from the word 'theechna' meaning pounding in the local dialect. Potatoes can be replaced with local radish. Of course the potatoes need to be scrubbed before using and any parts that need to be discarded should be peeled. I peeled the potatoes anyway and realized while mashing that it is not that easy when you have big potatoes on hand. Use small potatoes while preparing the dish which makes it suitable for the pounding part.  

Ingredients:

3 potatoes (about 2 cups roughly mashed potatoes)
1 - 2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. jakhiya / mustard seeds *

1 bay leaf
A pinch of asafoetida

1 tsp. ginger - garlic paste

1 green chili, finely chopped 
1 big sized onion, finely minced
Salt to taste
2 pinches of ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. coriander powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder or to taste
1 big sized tomato, finely chopped
1 cup water
1 /2 tsp. garam masala

* Locally grown wild mustard seeds used in Garhwali cuisine

Directions:

* Scrub the potatoes well and peel any parts that need to be discarded. Pound or mash the potatoes roughly into small pieces using a pestle.  

* Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add bay leaf, asafoetida and garlic - ginger paste. Sauté for few seconds and add green chili. Stir for few seconds.

* Next add onion and sauté until onion are cooked and add pounded potatoes. Stir for about a minute. Add salt, turmeric, coriander powder and chili powder to pan and mix well. Cover and cook until potatoes soften. 

* Next add chopped tomato to teh potato pan and mix well once. Again cover and cook until tomatoes are done.

* Next add about a cup of water and bring it to a boil. Add garam masala and cook the mixture about five minutes and turn off the stove. 

* Serve warm with hot steamed rice or rotis.

This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon and check the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.

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Potlakaaya Koora ~ South Indian Style Snake Gourd Curry

Here is a simple curry prepared with snake gourd that is usually served with steamed rice as part of a south Indian meal. The cooking method used here is a common preparation across homes in south India and the snake gourd in this recipe can be replaced with other vegetables. The cooking time depends upon the quality of the gourd that is being used. It cooks quicker if the gourd is tender and may take more time if the gourd is mature. Snake gourd can also be used in simple lentil preparations like this dal and raita or in pindi miriyam from Andhra like the versions I have posted here and here.

Ingredients:

2 snake gourds, chopped (about 5 cups)
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. split peas / chana dal
1 tsp. skinned black gram / urad dal
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
3 or 4 dried red chili broken into bits or to taste

A sprig of curry leaves
A pinch of turmeric powder
1 & 3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup. shredded fresh / frozen coconut 

Directions:
*  Trim the edges of snake gourd. If the gourds are long, chop them into two pieces. The gourd can be cut into thin circles if preferred. I cut them lengthwise into two and chopped them thinly. Discard the seeds if they are mature. 

* Heat oil and add split peas, black gram, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When split peas and black gram starts to turn reddish add red chilis and curry leaves. Stir them for few seconds.

* Next add the cut snake gourd pieces, salt and turmeric and mix them well. Cover and cook on low flame, stirring in between until the snake gourd pieces soften. (The cooking time depends upon the tenderness of the vegetable.)

* Finally add the shredded coconut and stir. Cook for a couple of minutes and turn off the stove.

* Serve the curry with steamed rice, drizzling a little ghee over it.

This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon and check the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.

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Kaddu ki Subzi / Pumpkin Curry

Recently I had tried a couple of versions of pumpkin curry, north Indian style. This is one of those and comes from the Benaras region. And of course this is not the only way a pumpkin aka kaddu ki subzi is prepared locally. All you need to make this quick, easy and delicious curry is pumpkin and spices from your pantry. The original recipe used not so ripe pumpkin as mine was and also included some potatoes that I have omitted. The orange hued pumpkin lends a sweetness to the curry here which can be of course balanced adjusting the quantities of chili powder and dry mango powder to the desired level. This is a great accompaniment to go along with Benarasi kachori and aloo. Trust me, this trio, a signature breakfast of the region makes a lip smacking meal anytime.  

Recipe source: Here

Ingredients:

1 tsp. mustard oil / sarson ka tel

1 tsp. mustard seeds / rai

1 tsp. cumin seeds / jeera

A pinch of fenugreek seeds / methi ke daane

1/4 tsp. fennel seeds / saunf

1 tbsp. ginger / adrak paste

A pinch of asafoetida / hing

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder / haldi

2 cups pumpkin / kaddu cubes with the skin on (I peeled the skin.)

Salt / namak to taste 

Chili powder / mirchi to taste

1 cup water

2 tsp. dried mango powder / aamchoor or as needed

2 tbsp. cilantro / mint leaves (optional)

Directions:

* Heat oil in a kadai / pan and add mustard, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and fennel seeds. When mustard seeds start to splutter, add ginger, asafoetida and stir well. 

* Add turmeric and pumpkin cubes to the pan and stir for minute. Add salt, chili powder and water to the pan. Cover and cook until done on medium flame. If the curry is prepared without potatoes, the curry is done in no time. 

* Finally add dry mango powder and mash the curry a little, if needed. Add chopped mint or cilantro leaves, if desired to make it more flavorsome.

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Vegetable Makhanwala / Veg Makhani (No Onion, No Garlic Recipe)

Here is another rich and creamy curry as part of the 'Gravy Curry' themed marathon this week. Vegetable makhanwala or veg makhani preparation is similar to paneer butter masala and I prepared it using no onion or garlic. One of my sister in laws who is no more with us was married to a north Indian and the food prepared in her home was typically north Indian style one. I got to learn the basic variations of gravies for north Indian style curries from her daughters who are younger to me, during my initial days of cooking. The tips from them came to use for my yesterday's shahi paneer and today's curry. 

The curry is cooked using 'makhan' aka butter and hence the name veg makhani, though one can do away with oil if counting calories. Similarly cream can be omitted too if not preferring rich curries. However butter and cream enhance the flavor of the dish and the curry would be a great choice when having company. The gravy is tomato based one here and the cashews added along lend a rich base to the curry. One wouldn't notice the absence of onions in this makhani recipe and the curry tastes absolutely delicious in spite of it. This curry makes a perfect dish for those who abstain from onion or garlic. The vegetables that can go into the dish are potatoes, beans, carrots, capsicum, cauliflower and peas. I omitted cauliflower and capsicum this time. Paneer or soy chunks can be added to make it more nutritious.

Ingredients:
3 cups mixed vegetables ( I used diced potatoes, diced carrots, beans cut into 1 inch pieces and peas.)
3 ripe red tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 inch piece of ginger
1 tbsp. cashews
1 tbsp. butter / oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds / caraway seeds
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. red chili powder or to taste
Water as needed (About 1.25 to 1.5 cups)
Salt to taste
1 tsp. crushed kasuri methi / dried fenugreek greens
3 tbsp. cream
1/2 tsp. garam masala
Minced cilantro leaves to garnish

Directions:
1. Pressure cook to 2 whistles or microwave the vegetables adding enough water. Save the water used to cook the vegetables to use later.
2. Grind together tomatoes, ginger and cashew together to a fine paste. (Garlic can be added if preferred.) 
3. Heat butter / oil in a pan and add the ground tomato paste, turmeric powder and chili powder. Saute until the raw smell leaves and the fat / oil starts to leave the sides of the pan, about 10 minutes.
4. Add about 1.5 cups of water to the tomato paste. (Use the water used to cook the vegetables plus extra water if needed to make about 1.5 cups.) Cook until the gravy thickens, about 6 - 8 minutes.
5. Add the cooked vegetables, salt, kasuri methi, and garam masala to the pan and mix gently. Stir in the cream finally and mix well to combine. Turn off the stove.
6. Garnish with cilantro if preferred. Serve it with rotis / rice.


This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon #101 under 'Gravy Curries' theme.

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Bhindi Ka Salan

Salan is a thick gravied, tangy curry from the Hyderabadi cuisine that is slowly cooked in a peanut, sesame and coconut base. Aromatic, flavor loaded salan traditionally was prepared as an accompaniment to rice / rotis though it has become synonymous with biryanis over the time. If you are interested, go through this interesting excerpt on the origins of the mirchi ka salan in the royal kitchens. Today's recipe of course is not the popular mirchi ka salan version which uses the green chillies but an okra / bhindi based one. 

I prepared this bhendi ka khatta salan to go with my 'Hyderabadi Dum Biryani' during the April Mega marathon. This is a dish to have in one's repertoire, if one is an okra fan. Choose small sized, tender okra while preparing this salan. The okra is fried before adding to the gravy so that the final salan doesn't end up being slimy though one can add okra without frying and cook. I used my air fryer instead of deep frying. I used very little oil to cook this dish and so my final salan doesn't look greasy with oil on the top, which seems to be the signature look of a salan. The dish doesn't demand any fancy ingredients though linked to imperial kitchens and even a novice cook can nail it with satisfactory results. It is a simple and easy enough dish and needs little supervision though it is cooked a little extra time than most of the dishes. 

To toast and grind:
2 tbsp. peanuts
1 tbsp. sesame seeds
2 tbsp. coconut
4 byadagi chillies / less spicy variety dried red chillies
1/2 inch piece of ginger
1 or 2 garlic cloves (I didn't use any.)
Other ingredients:
12 okra / bhindi
Oil to fry bhindi (if frying)
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/8 tsp. fenugreek seeds
Few curry leaves
1/2 cup minced onion
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
2 - 3 tbsp. tamarind juice
Salt to taste
Jaggery to taste (I used 2 Stevia packets)
1 tsp chili powder that is not very hot (I used 1.5 tsp )
Water as needed (I used 2 1/2 cups of water in total for grinding the paste and to cook the salan.)

Directions:
* Dry roast peanuts, sesame seeds, coconut and chillies on low flame, until slightly browned. Keep aside and let them cool.
* Grind the toasted ingredients along with ginger and garlic if using, to a smooth paste. Add water as needed to grind. (Ginger - garlic paste can be skipped here and added while sauteing onions instead.)
* Wash the okra, remove the ends and wipe them dry.
* Heat oil if deep frying okra. Fry okra on medium heat until slightly browned. (I used an air-fryer instead.)
* Heat oil in a pan and add mustard, cumin and fenugreek seeds. When mustard starts to sputter, add curry leaves and onion. Saute until golden brown.
* Next add the ground paste, turmeric, chili powder and salt to the pan. Add enough water to make it into a thin consistency mixture (about 1.5 or 2 cups of water). Stir well and cook the mixture covered for about 20 minutes on low flame, stirring intermittently. The mixture would have thickened by the time and the oil would have separated. Add tamarind and sweetener next, taste and adjust the seasonings if needed and cook for about 5 minutes. (I usually add tamarind and sweetener along with the paste at the beginning.) Add the fried okra and cook for a couple of minutes more. Turn off the stove and let it sit for few minutes before serving.
* Garnish with cilantro and serve with biryani / pulao / rice or rotis.




This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon #101 under 'Gravy Curries' theme.

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Dum ki Bharwan Bhindi

Stuffing vegetables with spicy fillings is quite a popular concept in regional Indian cooking. The commonly used vegetables to stuff are eggplants, okras, bitter gourds, capsicums, ivy gourds and others. I tried this recipe from The Indian Vegetarian Cookbook, which is perfect for bhindi / okra lovers and also for those who enjoy spicy stuffed vegetables. The okra are slit and stuffed with a mixture of ground spices and cooked in dum style, where they are covered and cooked in steam on low heat. The stuffing is enough for the mentioned quantity of okra and if you have any left over spice powder, don't be tempted to sprinkle on the cooked okra. I used less okra and spice powder than the quantity mentioned in the recipe and ended up sprinkling the left over spice powder over okra which was too spicy for our taste.

A green colored looking okra dish is not welcome in my world. Give me some okra and I am sure to give you back a platter of browned and crisply done okra. This dish was like a challenge where I had to resist that temptation to fry but still ended up browning some of them anyway. You can cook the stuffed okras just until done, still green looking since browning them is not a required step here. 

Ingredients:
2 tsp. coriander powder
2 tsp. mild red chili powder
2 tsp. fennel powder
1 tsp. dry mango / amchur powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper powder
Salt to taste
3 tbsp. oil
9 oz / 250 gm. okra
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
A pinch of asafoetida

Method:
* Combine all the ingredients mentioned under stuffing, in a small bowl.
* Wash and pat dry okra. Remove the ends. Slit the okras lengthwise using a sharp knife to create hollow pockets, without cutting them into two.

* Stuff the okras with the mixture equally.

* Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they start to brown add asafoetida and stir. Next add the stuffed okra and sprinkle little salt over them. Cover and cook on lowest heat setting.

* Stir them gently from time to time and cook until the okra re cooked through. It is fine if some of the stuffing spills into the pan while cooking. (I like my okras crisp and browned, therefore browned them and there is no need to do so.)

* Serve them warm with rice.


This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon #100 under 'Stuffed Dishes' theme.

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Potato - Spinach Curry Sandwich

I am quite in a relaxed mood after the biryani / pulao / khichdi themed month long blogging marathon. I am back onto the weekly BM series and this month marks a special milestone for the blogging marathon group as it hits the '100' mark.  Kudos to Srivalli, the group creator and coordinator who has managed to sustain the interest and enthusiasm of the group, for eight long years now. I am going with the theme of 'stuffed dishes' for this week and the first one in the series is going to be a spicy and yummy sandwich using an Indian inspired potato and spinach curry. One can easily modify the recipe to suit their preferences. The curry can be made ahead the previous night so that one would end up with a fuss-free, filling and tasty breakfast in the morning rush hours with little work. The curry also goes well with rotis / pooris / rice or even can be used as a paratha stuffing. I had made more curry than needed for the sandwiches.

Ingredients: (Yields about 2.5 cups of curry)
2 cups cooked and mashed potato *
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
A pinch of asafoetida
1 big onion, chopped fine (about a cup)
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 tomato, diced (about 2/3 cup)
1 cup, chopped and tightly packed spinach
1 tsp. garam masala
Red chili powder to taste
Bread slices as needed
* I used about 3 medium sized potatoes.

Directions:
* Peel, dice and cook potatoes in water until fork tender and place them in a colander. The water used to cook potatoes can be saved for other things if preferred. Mash the potatoes roughly and keep aside.
* Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When mustard seeds start to sizzle and splutter, add asafoetida, onion, turmeric and salt. Saute until onion turns golden brown.
* Next add tomato and spinach. Cook until tomato is mushy. If the mixture is getting stuck to the bottom of the pan, scrape and add a  tbsp. or two of water if needed. (One can use the potato water from step 1).
* Add garam masala, chili powder and saute for about 20 to 30 seconds. Then add the mashed potatoes and stir well. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Cook for a couple of minutes on low to medium flame and turn off the stove.
* Use the curry as filling and prepare the sandwich in a sandwich maker. Or toast the bread slices in a bread toaster. (One can apply butter and toast them on a pan if preferred. ) Spread as much curry as preferred on a toasted bread slice and cover it with another toasted slice.




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Kakarakaaya Koora / Bitter Gourd Curry

The first vegetable that comes to mind when we think about diabetes and diet from an Indian perspective is bitter gourd. The gourd which is obviously bitter is said to naturally lower the blood sugar levels in diabetics when consumed. I have seen people in our circles who consume bitter gourd directly or consume the juice. That is going to extremes in my world considering the level of bitterness of these gourds. There are several ways to cook and enjoy bitter gourd if you consume the vegetable and today's recipe is one such simple curry. My mother never tries to mask the bitterness of the gourds using any sweeteners in her recipes where as my MIL used to add sweeteners which made her version, an enjoyable one without any complaints. And so adding sweeteners in this recipe is optional, depending upon ones' ability to handle the bitterness. 

Ingredients: (Servings 3)
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. chana dal / split yellow chickpeas
1 tsp. mustard seeds
One big onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
3 bitter gourds, chopped finely (about 1.5 cups)
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste + extra
Red chili powder to taste
3/4 tsp. cumin powder
Jaggery powder / sweetener of your choice (Optional)
 
Method:
* Trim the edges and chop the bitter gourd fine. Sprinkle some salt over the bitter gourd bits and leave it aside for about 10 - 15 minutes in a colander. Then squeeze out the water from the bitter gourd and wash them thoroughly. Squeeze out again any extra water present. This step is optional and is done to cut down some of the bitterness of the gourds.
* Heat oil in a saute pan and add chana dal and mustard seeds. When dal starts to turn brownish, add the onions and fry until they turn golden brown. Next add the bitter gourd, turmeric and salt and cook until the gourds softened and cooked.
* Add chili powder, cumin powder and any sweetener if using to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes more.
* Turn off the stove and serve warm with rice.
 
This goes to Blogging marathon #60 under the theme 'Healthy Recipes / Diabetic Recipes'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

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